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Artistic isolation

From being one of the great world musical centres, the UK is condemning itself to a marginal place on the world scene

November 24 2011, 12:01am, The Times

Sir, The refusal by the immigration authorities to allow the young Korean pianist Sunwook Kim to perform a recital in London last week sets the bar at a new high for what appears to be an increasing policy of artistic isolation.

A winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition, Kim is one of the finest players in the world. To deny the British public the chance to hear his outstanding talent in the name of new immigration regulations is bad enough, but the messages it gives to other emerging artists of international excellence is far worse. From being one of the great world musical centres, the UK is condemning itself to a marginal place on the world scene, unless something is done to prevent the…